Archival photographs

Gammel supported his criticism of the 1953 cleaning by referring to archival photographs taken when the paintings were installed. A comparison of the murals with these photographs suggested that a considerable change occurred when in fact the high contrast photographs never accurately represented the murals. The black and white films used to create the archival photographs distorted the tonal relationships of some colors, such as some reds, which appeared black. While archival images served as important references during the 2003 treatment, they required cautious interpretation.

1. Heaven, 1916. Note the dark outlines around the figures in this archival photo (Boston Public Library)
2. Heaven, 2003. Compare the red outlines to their darker appearance in the 1916 photo